Increased yield manufacturing for integrated circuits

ABSTRACT

A system and method for providing increased manufacturing yield for integrated circuits. Various aspects of the invention may comprise receiving an integrated circuit designed to operate at nominal power supply characteristics. The integrated circuit may, for example, be tested at nominal power supply characteristics to determine if the integrated circuit meets performance requirements at nominal power supply characteristics. If the integrated circuit meets performance requirements at nominal power supply characteristics, then the integrated circuit may designated as such and further processed accordingly. Such a designation may, for example be visible, electronic or procedural. Various aspects of the present invention may also comprise testing the integrated circuit at non-nominal power supply characteristics to determine if the integrated circuit meets performance requirements at non-nominal power supply characteristics. If the integrated circuit meets performance requirements at non-nominal power supply characteristics, then the integrated circuit may be designated as such and further processed accordingly.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS/INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

This patent application is related to and claims priority fromprovisional patent application Ser. No. 60/584,988, filed Jul. 1, 2004,and entitled “INCREASED YIELD MANUFACTURING FOR INTEGRATED CIRCUITS,”the contents of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference intheir entirety.

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

[Not Applicable]

SEQUENCE LISTING

[Not Applicable]

MICROFICHE/COPYRIGHT REFERENCE

[Not Applicable]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Integrated circuits are typically designed to operate under nominalpower supply characteristics. For example and without limitation, anintegrated circuit may be designed to operate at a particular level ofperformance when powered at a nominal voltage level or over a nominalvoltage range.

Integrated circuit manufacturing may produce integrated circuits of thesame design having varying levels of performance. Such performancevariability may, for example, be caused by any of a number of sources ofmanufacturing process variability (e.g., automated process variabilityand/or human variability) or material variability. Manufacturedintegrated circuits are often tested by applying electrical power thatis characterized by nominal power supply characteristics and determiningwhether the tested integrated circuits perform at or above a minimumacceptable performance level. Manufactured integrated circuits that failsuch a test are often discarded, resulting in monetary loss for thedesigner and/or manufacturer.

Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditionalapproaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, throughcomparison of such systems with the present invention as set forth inthe remainder of the present application with reference to the drawings.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Various aspects of the present invention provide a system and method forproviding increased manufacturing yield for integrated circuits,substantially as shown in and/or described in connection with at leastone of the figures, as set forth more completely in the claims. Theseand other advantages, aspects and novel features of the presentinvention, as well as details of illustrative aspects thereof, will bemore fully understood from the following description and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary method for providing increasedmanufacturing yield for integrated circuits, in accordance with variousaspects of the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary method for providing increasedmanufacturing yield for integrated circuits, in accordance with variousaspects of the present invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary system for providing increasedmanufacturing yield for integrated circuits, in accordance with variousaspects of the present invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary system for providing increasedmanufacturing yield for integrated circuits, in accordance with variousaspects of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary method 100 for providing increasedmanufacturing yield for integrated circuits, in accordance with variousaspects of the present invention. The exemplary method 100 may begin atstep 110. The method 100 may begin for any of a variety of reasons. Forexample and without limitation, the method 100 may begin in response toa user or system command to begin. The method 100 may, for example,begin in response to pending arrival or production of one or moreintegrated circuits. The method 100 may, for example, begin in responseto an electronic order for one or more of the integrated circuits. Ingeneral, the method 100 may begin in response to any of a variety ofcauses or conditions. Accordingly, the scope of various aspects of thepresent invention should not be limited by characteristics of anyparticular initiating cause or condition.

The exemplary method 100 may, at step 120, comprise receiving anintegrated circuit. Step 120 may, for example and without limitation,comprise receiving a shipment of the integrated circuit(s) from anotherfacility (e.g., an external chip supplier or internal off-siteproduction site). Also for example, such receiving may comprisereceiving the integrated circuit(s) from a local upstream integratedcircuit fabrication line. Such receiving may, for example, comprisereceiving the integrated circuit(s) in a batch or in series on aconveyor. In general, step 120 may comprise receiving an integratedcircuit. Accordingly, the scope of various aspects of the presentinvention should not be limited by characteristics of a specific mannerof receiving an integrated circuit.

The integrated circuit may comprise characteristics of any of a largevariety of integrated circuits. For example and without limitation, theintegrated circuit may comprise characteristics of a microprocessorcircuit, signal processing circuit, user interface circuit,communication circuit, power supply circuit, audio/video circuit, analogcircuit, digital circuit, etc.

In a non-limiting exemplary scenario, the integrated circuit may beadapted to operate with a variable power supply circuit, though suchadaptation is by no means necessary. For example, the integrated circuitmay comprise circuitry specifically adapted to communicate informationwith variable power supply circuitry. In another non-limiting exemplaryscenario, the integrated circuit may be adapted to monitor its ownperformance and communicate information related to such monitoredperformance to other circuitry (e.g., variable power supply circuitry).In yet another non-limiting exemplary scenario, the integrated circuitmay be adapted to operate with power supply circuitry that adjusts powersupply characteristics to modify or optimize integrated circuitperformance.

In general, the integrated circuit may comprise any of a large varietyof integrated circuit characteristics. Accordingly, the scope of variousaspects of the present invention should not be limited bycharacteristics of a particular integrated circuit.

Integrated circuits are generally designed to operate at planned (ornominal) power supply characteristics. Such nominal power supplycharacteristics may comprise specific target values or ranges. Suchnominal power supply characteristics may, for example and withoutlimitation, comprise voltage characteristics, such as voltage level andvoltage variability (e.g., tolerance limits, noise limits, ripplecharacteristics, statistical variance, load response, etc.). Suchnominal power supply characteristics may also, for example, comprisecurrent characteristics, such as current level and current variability(e.g., tolerance limits, spike or surge characteristics, load response,etc.). Such nominal power supply characteristics may further, forexample, comprise various energy or power characteristics.

For example and without limitation, an integrated circuit may bedesigned to meet performance requirements at a nominal voltage of 1.2Volts or over a nominal voltage range of 5.0 Volts +/−10%. Also forexample, an integrated circuit may be designed to meet performancerequirements at an operating current of 1.0 Amperes or over an operatingcurrent range of 0.5 Amperes +/−5%. Further for example, an integratedcircuit may be designed to meet performance requirements when providedwith electrical power having less than a 10% noise component. Stillfurther for example, an integrated circuit may be designed to meetperformance requirements, even when subjected to loss of voltage or asubstantial voltage drop of no more than a maximum duration.

In general, integrated circuits may be generally designed to meetperformance requirements when provided with electrical powercharacterized by nominal power supply characteristics. Accordingly, thescope of various aspects of the present invention should not be limitedby aspects of one or more particular nominal power supplycharacteristics.

Compared to the nominal (or planned) power supply characteristics,non-nominal power supply characteristics may generally be considered tobe different than the nominal power supply characteristics discussedabove. Note that a non-nominal range may overlap with a nominal range.That is, the difference between nominal power supply characteristics andnon-nominal power supply characteristics may be determined by differentsingle values and/or different range limits, depending on the particularpower supply characteristic being compared.

In an exemplary scenario, nominal power supply characteristics maycomprise a voltage range of 2.0V+/−0.2V, where any voltage less than1.8V and more than 2.2V is non-nominal. Also in the exemplary scenario,a tighter voltage tolerance range of +/−0.1V may also be considerednon-nominal (e.g., by imposing a tighter tolerance range than thenominal tolerance range).

In another exemplary scenario, nominal power supply characteristics maycomprise a maximum voltage variability of +/−10% from a target voltage,where a voltage different than the target voltage by more than 10% isnon-nominal (e.g., by being out of the nominal range). Also in theexemplary scenario, a more restrictive voltage variability range of+/−5% from the target voltage may represent a non-nominal range.

In yet another exemplary scenario, nominal power supply characteristicsmay comprise a maximum amount of noise of +/−20% of the power supplyvoltage level, where an amount of noise different by more than 20% thanthe power supply voltage level is non-nominal. Also in the exemplaryscenario, more restrictive noise limits of +/−5% may represent anon-nominal range.

In general, compared to the nominal (or planned) power supplycharacteristics, non-nominal power supply characteristics may generallybe considered to be different (e.g., in value or in range, depending onthe characteristic) than the nominal power supply characteristicsdiscussed above. Accordingly, the scope of various aspects of thepresent invention should not be limited by characteristics of aparticular difference between nominal and non-nominal power supplycharacteristics.

As mentioned previously, in general, integrated circuits may begenerally designed to meet performance requirements under particularoperating conditions. Such performance requirements may comprisecharacteristics of any of a variety of performance metrics. For exampleand without limitation, performance may be measured by processing speedof the integrated circuit. Also for example, performance may be measuredby operating temperature or energy efficiency of the integrated circuit.Further for example, performance may be measured by performance of theintegrated circuit in response to any of a variety of disturbanceconditions (e.g., load, noise, various environmental conditions, etc.).Accordingly, the scope of various aspects of the present inventionshould not be limited by characteristics of any particular integratedcircuit performance metric.

The exemplary method 100 may, at step 130, comprise optionallyperforming any of a variety of manufacturing activities on theintegrated circuit received at step 120. Such manufacturing activitiesmay, for example and without limitation, comprise various receivingactivities (e.g., inventorying, inspecting, accounting, etc.), variousmaterial-handling activities (e.g., routing, re-packing, transporting,etc.), and various other manufacturing activities (e.g., in-circuit andout-of-circuit testing, statistical sampling, product marking, mountingthe integrated circuit to a printed wire board or multi-chip module,incorporating the integrated circuit into a product, etc.). In anon-limiting exemplary scenario, step 130 may comprise testing theintegrated circuit at nominal power supply characteristics to determineif the integrated circuit meets performance requirements at nominalpower supply characteristics. An example of this non-limiting exemplaryscenario will be discussed in more detail later in the discussion ofFIG. 2.

In general, step 130 may comprise optionally performing any of a varietyof manufacturing activities on the integrated circuit. Accordingly, thescope of various aspects of the present invention should not be limitedby additional actions that may be performed on the integrated circuitreceived at step 120.

The exemplary method 100 may, at step 140, comprise testing theintegrated circuit at non-nominal power supply characteristics todetermine if the integrated circuit meets performance requirements atnon-nominal power supply characteristics. Various aspects of non-nominalpower supply characteristics were discussed previously. Various aspectsof integrated circuit performance requirements were also discussedpreviously. Exemplary step 140 generally comprises testing theintegrated circuit at such non-nominal power supply characteristics todetermine if the integrated circuit meets such performance requirementsat such non-nominal power supply characteristics.

For example, in an exemplary scenario where the nominal power supplycharacteristics comprise a nominal voltage range, step 140 may comprisetesting the integrated circuit at a non-nominal voltage outside of thenominal voltage range. In another exemplary scenario where the nominalpower supply characteristics comprise a nominal target voltage with anominal tolerance range, step 140 may comprise testing the integratedcircuit over a non-nominal tolerance range that is smaller than thenominal tolerance range.

In a further exemplary scenario where the nominal power supplycharacteristics comprise a minimum current supply level, step 140 maycomprise testing the integrated circuit at a non-nominal current supplylevel that is less than the nominal minimum current supply level. In yetanother exemplary scenario where the nominal power supplycharacteristics comprise a maximum amount of electrical noise, step 140may comprise testing the integrated circuit with a non-nominal maximumamount of electrical noise that is less than the nominal maximum amountof electrical noise.

In another exemplary scenario where the nominal power supplycharacteristics comprise a maximum duration of a temporary voltage drop,step 140 may comprise testing the integrated circuit with a non-nominalmaximum voltage drop duration that is less than the nominal maximumduration. In yet another exemplary scenario where the nominal powersupply characteristics comprise a maximum duration of a temporarycurrent supply drop, step 140 may comprise testing the integratedcircuit with a non-nominal maximum current supply drop duration that isless than the nominal maximum duration.

Step 140 may perform such integrated circuit testing in any of a varietyof manners. For example and without limitation, step 140 may comprisetesting performance of the integrated circuit in a test circuit. Alsofor example, step 140 may comprise testing performance of the integratedcircuit as a stand-alone device. Step 140 may comprise utilizing variouscommercially available testing apparatus or may comprise utilizingcustom testing apparatus. Step 140 may, for example, comprise testingthe integrated circuit on testing apparatus dedicated to such a test ormay, for example, comprise testing the integrated circuit on testingapparatus that is also utilized for other testing of the integratedcircuit or other circuits.

Step 140 may, for example, comprise applying electrical power havingnon-nominal power supply characteristics to the integrated circuit andmonitoring any of a variety of performance indicators. Step 140 may, forexample, process monitored performance indicators to determine whetherthe integrated circuit meets performance requirements when operated atnon-nominal power supply characteristics.

In general, exemplary step 140 may comprise testing the integratedcircuit at non-nominal power supply characteristics to determine if theintegrated circuit meets performance requirements at non-nominal powersupply characteristics. Accordingly, the scope of various aspects of thepresent invention should not be limited by aspects of particularnon-nominal power supply characteristics or by characteristics of anyparticular manner of testing the integrated circuit at such non-nominalpower supply characteristics.

The exemplary method 100 may, at step 150, comprise controllingexecution flow of the exemplary method 100. Step 150 may, for example,comprise analyzing the results of the integrated circuit testingperformed at step 140 and directing execution flow of the exemplarymethod 100 according to whether the exemplary circuit met performancerequirements at non-nominal power supply characteristics. For example,if step 140 tested the integrated circuit at non-nominal power supplycharacteristics and found that the integrated circuit did not meetperformance requirements at the non-nominal power supplycharacteristics, then step 150 may comprise directing execution flow tostep 160. Also for example, if step 140 tested the integrated circuit atnon-nominal power supply characteristics and found that the integratedcircuit met performance requirements at non-nominal power supplycharacteristics, then step 150 may comprise directing execution flow tostep 170.

The exemplary method 100 may, at step 160, comprise performing continuedprocessing of the integrated circuit, which steps 140 and 150 determinedfailed to meet performance requirements at non-nominal power supplycharacteristics. Such continued processing may comprise any of a varietyof types of further processing that may be performed on an integratedcircuit that fails a performance test. For example, step 160 maycomprise performing additional testing of the integrated circuit.

Step 160 may, for example, comprise routing the integrated circuit to amanufacturing station that processes such failing integrated circuits.Step 160 may, for example, comprise performing additional performancetesting (e.g., testing to less stringent performance requirements). Step160 may, for example, comprise performing failure analysis on theintegrated circuit to determine why the integrated circuit did not passprevious testing. Also for example, step 160 may comprise scrapping theintegrated circuit. In general, step 160 may comprise performingcontinued processing of the integrated circuit. Accordingly, the scopeof various aspects of the present invention should not be limited bycharacteristics of any particular continued processing.

The exemplary method 100 may, at step 170, comprise designating theintegrated circuit as meeting the performance requirements atnon-nominal power supply characteristics. Such a designation may also,for example, in a scenario where operating characteristics of one ormore particular power supply circuits are known, comprise information asto which power supply circuit(s) may provide power to the integratedcircuit at the non-nominal power supply characteristics.

Step 170 may comprise performing such designating in any of a variety ofmanners. For example and without limitation, step 170 may comprisedesignating the integrated circuit as meeting the performancerequirements (or not) at non-nominal power supply characteristics byphysically marking the integrated circuit with a detectable indiciumindicative of the integrated circuit meeting the performancerequirements at non-nominal power supply characteristics. Such adetectable indicium may, for example, comprise a visibly detectableindicium. Also such a detectable indicium may, for example, comprise anelectrically detectable indicium (e.g., a programmed bit in on-boardnon-volatile memory).

Also for example, step 170 may comprise designating the integratedcircuit as meeting the performance requirements (or not) by enteringdata indicative of such designation in a database associated with theintegrated circuit. Such a database may, for example, comprise acentralized production floor database or may, for example, comprise arelatively distributed database (e.g., a memory device associated withthe integrated circuit or a set of integrated circuits during testing orproduction).

Further for example, step 170 may comprise designating the integratedcircuit as meeting the performance requirements (or not) by ceasingtesting activities and/or routing the integrated circuit along aparticular test or production path. For example step 170 may compriserouting the integrated circuit along a production or testing path thatis dedicated to integrated circuits that meet the performancerequirements at non-nominal power supply characteristics.

The exemplary method may, at step 180, comprise performing continuedprocessing of the integrated circuit, which was found to meetperformance requirements at non-nominal power supply characteristics.Step 180 may, for example, comprise routing the integrated circuit to aproduction station that processes integrated circuits that meetperformance requirements at non-nominal power supply characteristics.

Step 180 may, for example, comprise performing additional performancetesting. In an exemplary scenario where the integrated circuit was foundto not meet performance requirements at nominal power supplycharacteristics but meet performance requirements at non-nominal powersupply characteristics, step 180 may comprise performing analysis on theintegrated circuit to determine the cause of such testing results.

Step 180 may also, for example, comprise packaging the integratedcircuit in a manner commensurate with integrated circuits that meetperformance requirements at non-nominal power supply characteristics. Ingeneral, step 180 may comprise performing continued processing of theintegrated circuit, which was found to meet performance requirements atnon-nominal power supply characteristics. Accordingly, the scope ofvarious aspects of the present invention should not be limited bycharacteristics of any particular continued processing.

It should be noted that the exemplary system 100 illustrated in FIG. 1and discussed previously was presented to provide specific illustrationsof a portion of generally broader aspects of the present invention.Accordingly, the scope of various aspects of the present inventionshould by no means be limited by characteristics of the exemplary system100.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary method 200 for providing increasedmanufacturing yield for integrated circuits, in accordance with variousaspects of the present invention. The exemplary method 200 may, forexample and without limitation, share various characteristics with theexemplary method 100 illustrated in FIG. 1 and discussed previously.

The exemplary method 200 may, at step 220, comprise receiving anintegrated circuit. Step 220 may, for example and without limitation,share various characteristics with step 120 of the exemplary method 100illustrated in FIG. 1 and discussed previously.

The exemplary method may, at step 232, comprise testing the integratedcircuit (e.g., as received at step 220) at nominal power supplycharacteristics to determine if the integrated circuit meets performancerequirements at nominal power supply characteristics. Various aspects ofnominal power supply characteristics and integrated circuit performancerequirements were presented previously in the discussion of FIG. 1. Step232 may, for example and without limitation, share variouscharacteristics with step 140 of the exemplary method 100 illustrated inFIG. 1 and discussed previously, which was generally directed to testingthe integrated circuit at non-nominal power supply characteristics.

For example, in an exemplary scenario where the nominal power supplycharacteristics comprise a nominal voltage range, step 232 may comprisetesting the integrated circuit over the nominal voltage range (e.g., ata discrete number of voltages across the nominal voltage range). Inanother exemplary scenario where the nominal power supplycharacteristics comprise a nominal target voltage with a nominaltolerance range, step 232 may comprise testing the integrated circuit atthe nominal target voltage and at various voltages across the nominaltolerance range (e.g., including voltage values at the limits of thenominal tolerance range.

In a further exemplary scenario where the nominal power supplycharacteristics comprise a minimum current supply level, step 232 maycomprise testing the integrated circuit at the minimum current supplylevel and higher current supply levels. In yet another exemplaryscenario where the nominal power supply characteristics comprise amaximum amount of electrical noise, step 232 may comprise testing theintegrated circuit with the maximum amount of electrical noise.

In another exemplary scenario where the nominal power supplycharacteristics comprise a maximum duration of a temporary voltage drop,step 232 may comprise testing the integrated circuit with a voltage dropof the nominal maximum duration. In yet another exemplary scenario wherethe nominal power supply characteristics comprise a maximum duration ofa temporary current supply drop, step 232 may comprise testing theintegrated circuit with a current supply drop of the nominal maximumduration.

Step 232 may perform such integrated circuit testing in any of a varietyof manners. For example and without limitation, step 232 may comprisetesting performance of the integrated circuit in a test circuit. Alsofor example, step 232 may comprise testing performance of the integratedcircuit as a stand-alone device. Step 232 may also, for example,comprise utilizing various commercially available testing apparatus ormay comprise utilizing custom testing apparatus. Step 232 may, forexample, comprise testing the integrated circuit on testing apparatusdedicated to such a test or may, for example, comprise testing theintegrated circuit on testing apparatus that is also utilized foradditional testing of the integrated circuit or for testing othercircuits.

Step 232 may, for example, comprise applying electrical power havingnominal power supply characteristics to the integrated circuit andmonitoring any of a variety of performance indicators. For example, step232 may process monitored performance indicators to determine whetherthe integrated circuit meets performance requirements when operated atnominal power supply characteristics.

In general, exemplary step 232 may comprise testing the integratedcircuit at nominal power supply characteristics to determine if theintegrated circuit meets performance requirements at nominal powersupply characteristics. Accordingly, the scope of various aspects of thepresent invention should not be limited by aspects of particular nominalpower supply characteristics or by characteristics of any particularmanner of testing the integrated circuit at such nominal power supplycharacteristics.

The exemplary method 200 may, at step 234, comprise controllingexecution flow of the exemplary method 200. Step 234 may, for example,analyze the results of the integrated circuit testing performed at step232 and direct execution flow of the exemplary method 200 according towhether the exemplary circuit met performance requirements at nominalpower supply characteristics. For example, if step 232 tested theintegrated circuit at nominal power supply characteristics and foundthat the integrated circuit did not meet performance requirements atnominal power supply characteristics, then step 234 may direct executionflow to step 240 for further testing. Also for example, if step 232tested the integrated circuit at nominal power supply characteristicsand found that the integrated circuit met performance requirements atnominal power supply characteristics, then step 234 may direct executionflow to step 236 for further processing.

The exemplary method 200, at step 236, may comprise designating theintegrated circuit as meeting the performance requirements (e.g.,absolutely or at the nominal power supply characteristics). Step 236may, for example and without limitation, share various characteristicswith step 170 of the exemplary method 100 illustrated in FIG. 1 anddiscussed previously. Though exemplary step 170 generally compriseddesignating the integrated circuit as meeting the performancerequirements at non-nominal power supply characteristics, variouscharacteristics of step 170, by analogy, may apply to step 236.

For example, step 236 may comprise performing such designating in any ofa variety of manners. For example and without limitation, step 236 maycomprise designating the integrated circuit as meeting the performancerequirements (or not) at nominal power supply characteristics byphysically marking the integrated circuit with a detectable indiciumindicative of the integrated circuit meeting the performancerequirements at nominal power supply characteristics. Such a detectableindicium may, for example, comprise a visibly detectable indicium. Alsosuch a detectable indicium may, for example, comprise an electricallydetectable indicium (e.g., a programmed bit in on-board non-volatilememory).

Also for example, step 236 may comprise designating the integratedcircuit as meeting the performance requirements (or not) by enteringdata indicative of such designation in a database associated with theintegrated circuit. Such a database may, for example, comprise acentralized production floor database or may, for example, comprise arelatively distributed database (e.g., a memory device associated withthe integrated circuit or a set of integrated circuits, for example abatch or pallet, during testing or production).

Further for example, step 236 may comprise designating the integratedcircuit as meeting the performance requirements (or not) by ceasingtesting activities and/or routing the integrated circuit along aparticular test or production path. For example, step 236 may compriserouting the integrated circuit along a production or testing path thatis dedicated to integrated circuits that meet the performancerequirements at nominal power supply characteristics.

The exemplary method 200 may, at step 238, comprise performing continuedprocessing of the integrated circuit, which was found to meetperformance requirements at nominal power supply characteristics. Step238 may, for example and without limitation, share variouscharacteristics with step 180 of the exemplary method 100 illustrated inFIG. 1 and discussed previously. Though exemplary step 180 generallycomprised performing continued processing on the integrated circuit asmeeting the performance requirements at non-nominal power supplycharacteristics, various characteristics of step 180, by analogy, mayapply to step 238.

Step 238 may, for example, comprise routing the integrated circuit to amanufacturing station that processes integrated circuits that meetperformance requirements at nominal power supply characteristics. Step238 may, for example, comprise performing additional performancetesting, if desired. Step 238 may also, for example, comprise packagingthe integrated circuit in a manner commensurate with integrated circuitsthat meet performance requirements at nominal power supplycharacteristics.

In general, step 238 may comprise performing continued processing of theintegrated circuit, which was found to meet performance requirements atnominal power supply characteristics. Accordingly, the scope of variousaspects of the present invention should not be limited bycharacteristics of any particular continued processing.

In the previous discussion of step 130 of the exemplary method 100 ofFIG. 1, it was mentioned that step 130 may comprise optionallyperforming any of a variety of manufacturing activities on theintegrated circuit, including for example, inventorying, inspecting,accounting, routing, packing, re-packing, transporting, testing,sampling, marking, mounting, etc. Exemplary steps 232-238 (enclosed bydashed box 230) provide a non-limiting example of such manufacturingactivities, in the form of integrated circuit testing activity. Thescope of various aspects of the present invention should not, however,be limited to the exemplary testing activity illustrated in step 230.

The exemplary method 200 may, for example, perform steps 240-280 in ascenario where steps 232-234 determined that the integrated circuit didnot meet performance requirements at nominal power supplycharacteristics. Steps 240-280 may generally comprise testing theintegrated circuit at non-nominal power supply characteristics todetermine if the integrated circuit meets performance requirements atnon-nominal power supply characteristics, and if the integrated circuitmeets the performance requirements at the non-nominal power supplycharacteristics, then designating the integrated circuit as meeting theperformance requirements at non-nominal power supply characteristics.Steps 240-280 may, for example and without limitation, share variouscharacteristics with corresponding steps 140-180 of the exemplary method100 illustrated in FIG. 1 and discussed previously.

It should be noted that the exemplary system 200 illustrated in FIG. 2and discussed previously was presented to provide specific illustrationsof a portion of generally broader aspects of the present invention.Accordingly, the scope of various aspects of the present inventionshould by no means be limited by characteristics of the exemplary system200.

FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary system 300 for providing increasedmanufacturing yield for integrated circuits, in accordance with variousaspects of the present invention. Various components of the system 300may, for example and without limitation, share various functionalcharacteristics with the exemplary methods 100, 200 illustrated in FIGS.1-2 and discussed previously.

The exemplary system 300 may comprise an integrated circuit source 310.The exemplary system 300 may also comprise an integrated circuit testenvironment 320 that receives integrated circuits from the integratedcircuit source 310. The exemplary system 300 may further comprise adownstream production environment for passing product 330 and adownstream production environment for failing product 340, each of whichmay receive tested integrated circuits from the integrated circuit testenvironment 320.

The integrated circuit source 310 may comprise characteristics of any ofa variety of integrated circuit sources. For example and withoutlimitation, the integrated circuit source 310 may comprise an upstreamintegrated circuit fabrication line. Such a fabrication line may, forexample, be co-located with the integrated circuit test environment 320or may be geographically separated from the integrated circuit testenvironment 320. The integrated circuit source 310 may also, forexample, comprise an integrated circuit receiving station whereintegrated circuits may arrive at the system 300 through any of a numberof delivery methods. Such delivery methods may, for example, comprise aconveyor, transportation cart, transportation truck, etc. In general,the integrated circuit source 310 may comprise characteristics of any ofa variety of integrated circuit sources. Accordingly, the scope ofvarious aspects of the present invention should not be limited bycharacteristics of a particular integrated circuit source.

The integrated circuit test environment 320 may receive an integratedcircuit from the integrated circuit source 310. The integrated circuittest environment 320 may, for example and without limitation, sharevarious functional characteristics with the exemplary methods 100, 200(e.g., steps 120-170 and 220-270) illustrated in FIGS. 1-2 and discussedpreviously.

The integrated circuit test environment 320 may comprise characteristicsof any of a variety of test environment configurations. In the exemplaryconfiguration illustrated in FIG. 3, the integrated circuit testenvironment 320 may comprise a first integrated circuit test station 322and a second integrated circuit test station 324. However, the scope ofvarious aspects of the present invention should not be limited bycharacteristics of such an exemplary test environment configuration.

The integrated circuit test environment 320 may comprise a firstintegrated circuit test station 322. The first integrated circuit teststation 322 may, for example and without limitation, share variousfunctional characteristics with the exemplary methods 100, 200 (e.g.,steps 220 and 232-236) illustrated in FIGS. 1-2 and discussedpreviously.

The first IC test station 322 may, for example, receive an integratedcircuit (e.g., from the IC source 310 or an alternative source). Thefirst IC test station 322 may, for example and without limitation,receive the integrated circuit in a batch or in series on a conveyor.The first IC test station 322 may, for example, receive the integratedcircuit automatically or manually. The scope of various aspects of thepresent invention should not be limited by characteristics of a specificmanner of receiving an integrated circuit or of a device that receivesan integrated circuit.

The first IC test station 322 may, for example, test the integratedcircuit at nominal power supply characteristics to determine if theintegrated circuit meets performance requirements at nominal powersupply characteristics. Various aspects of nominal power supplycharacteristics and integrated circuit performance requirements werediscussed previously in the discussion of FIG. 1.

For example, in an exemplary scenario where the nominal power supplycharacteristics comprise a nominal voltage range, the first IC teststation 322 may test the integrated circuit over the nominal voltagerange (e.g., at a discrete number of voltages across the nominal voltagerange). In another exemplary scenario where the nominal power supplycharacteristics comprise a nominal target voltage with a nominaltolerance range, the first IC test station 322 may test the integratedcircuit at the nominal target voltage and/or at various voltages acrossthe nominal tolerance range (e.g., including voltage values at thelimits of the nominal tolerance range.

In a further exemplary scenario where the nominal power supplycharacteristics comprise a minimum current supply level, the first ICtest station 322 may test the integrated circuit at the minimum currentsupply level and higher current supply levels. In yet another exemplaryscenario where the nominal power supply characteristics comprise amaximum amount of electrical noise, the first IC test station 322 maytest the integrated circuit with the maximum amount of electrical noise.

In another exemplary scenario where the nominal power supplycharacteristics comprise a maximum duration of a temporary voltage drop,the first IC test station 322 may test the integrated circuit with avoltage drop of the nominal maximum duration. In yet another exemplaryscenario where the nominal power supply characteristics comprise amaximum duration of a temporary current supply drop, the first IC teststation 322 may test the integrated circuit with a current supply dropof the nominal maximum duration.

The first IC test station 322 may perform such integrated circuittesting in any of a variety of manners. For example and withoutlimitation, the first IC test station 322 may test performance of theintegrated circuit in a test circuit. Also for example, the first ICtest station 322 may test performance of the integrated circuit as astand-alone device. The first IC test station 322 may, for example,utilize various commercially available testing apparatus or may utilizecustom testing apparatus. The first IC test station 322 may, forexample, test the integrated circuit on testing apparatus dedicated tosuch a test or may, for example, test the integrated circuit on testingapparatus that is also utilized for additional testing of the integratedcircuit or testing other circuits.

The first IC test station 322 may, for example, apply electrical powerhaving nominal power supply characteristics to the integrated circuitand monitor any of a variety of performance indicators. For example, thefirst IC test station 322 may process monitored performance indicatorsto determine whether the integrated circuit meets performancerequirements when operated at nominal power supply characteristics.

In general, the first IC test station 322 may test the integratedcircuit at nominal power supply characteristics to determine if theintegrated circuit meets performance requirements at nominal powersupply characteristics. Accordingly, the scope of various aspects of thepresent invention should not be limited by aspects of particular nominalpower supply characteristics or by characteristics of any particularmanner of testing the integrated circuit or of any device that may testthe integrated circuit at such nominal power supply characteristics.

The first IC test station 322 may, for example, control product flow ofthe integrated circuit. The first IC test station 322 may, for example,analyze the results of the integrated circuit testing and direct productflow of the integrated circuit according to whether the exemplaryintegrated circuit met performance requirements at nominal power supplycharacteristics. For example, if the first IC test station 322 testedthe integrated circuit at nominal power supply characteristics and foundthat the integrated circuit did not meet performance requirements atnominal power supply characteristics, then the first IC test station 322may direct product flow of the integrated circuit to the second teststation 324 for further testing. Also for example, if the first IC teststation 322 tested the integrated circuit at nominal power supplycharacteristics and found that the integrated circuit met performancerequirements at nominal power supply characteristics, then the first ICtest station 322 may direct product flow of the integrated circuit tothe downstream production environment for passing product 330 (e.g., tothe first production station 332) for further processing.

In an exemplary scenario where the first IC test station 322 determinedthat the integrated circuit met performance requirements at nominalpower supply characteristics, the first IC test station 322 (including,e.g., another related station) may designate the integrated circuit asmeeting the performance requirements (e.g., absolutely or at nominalpower supply characteristics). For example, the first IC test station322 may perform such designating in any of a variety of manners. Forexample and without limitation, the first IC test station 322 (whichmay, e.g., include a separate downstream production station) maydesignate the integrated circuit as meeting the performance requirements(or not) at nominal power supply characteristics by physically markingthe integrated circuit with a detectable indicium indicative of theintegrated circuit meeting the performance requirements at nominal powersupply characteristics. Such a detectable indicium may, for example,comprise a visibly detectable indicium. Also such a detectable indiciummay, for example, comprise an electrically detectable indicium (e.g., aprogrammed bit in on-board non-volatile memory).

Also for example, the first IC test station 322 may designate theintegrated circuit as meeting the performance requirements (or not) byentering data indicative of such designation in a database associatedwith the integrated circuit. Such a database may, for example, comprisea centralized production floor database or may, for example, comprise arelatively distributed database (e.g., a memory device associated withthe integrated circuit or a set of integrated circuits, for example abatch or pallet, during testing or production).

Further for example, the first IC test station 322 may designate theintegrated circuit as meeting the performance requirements (or not) byceasing testing activities and/or routing the integrated circuit along aparticular test or production path. For example, the first IC teststation 322 may route the integrated circuit along a production ortesting path that is dedicated to integrated circuits that meet theperformance requirements at nominal power supply characteristics. In theexemplary system 300 illustrated in FIG. 3, such a production path may,for example, lead from the first IC test station 322 to the firstproduction station 332.

As mentioned previously, if the first IC test station 322 tested theintegrated circuit at nominal power supply characteristics and foundthat the integrated circuit met performance requirements at the nominalpower supply characteristics, then the first IC test station 322 maydirect product flow of the integrated circuit to the downstreamproduction environment for passing product 330 (e.g., to the firstproduction station 332) for further processing. The exemplary firstproduction station 332 may, for example, perform any of a variety ofprocessing (including material-handling) tasks related to an integratedcircuit that is found to meet performance requirements at nominal powersupply characteristics. For example and without limitation, the firstproduction station 332 may share various functional characteristics withstep 238 of the exemplary method 200 illustrated in FIG. 2 and discussedpreviously.

The first production station 332 may, for example, perform additionalperformance testing, if desired. The first production station 332 mayalso, for example, package the integrated circuit in a mannercommensurate with integrated circuits that meet performance requirementsat nominal power supply characteristics. In general, the firstproduction station 332 may perform continued processing of theintegrated circuit, which was found to meet performance requirements atnominal power supply characteristics. Accordingly, the scope of variousaspects of the present invention should not be limited bycharacteristics of any particular continued processing or of devices forperforming particular continued processing.

The integrated circuit test environment 320 may comprise a secondintegrated circuit test station 324. The second integrated circuit teststation 324 may, for example and without limitation, share variousfunctional characteristics with the exemplary methods 100, 200 (e.g.,steps 140-170 and 240-270) illustrated in FIGS. 1-2 and discussedpreviously.

The second IC test station 324 may, for example, receive an integratedcircuit (e.g., from the first IC test station 322 or an alternativesource). The second IC test station 324 may, for example and withoutlimitation, receive the integrated circuit in a batch or in series on aconveyor. The second IC test station 324 may, for example, receive theintegrated circuit automatically or manually. The scope of variousaspects of the present invention should not be limited bycharacteristics of a specific manner of receiving an integrated circuitor of a device that receives an integrated circuit.

The second IC test station 324 may, for example, test the integratedcircuit at non-nominal power supply characteristics to determine if theintegrated circuit meets performance requirements at non-nominal powersupply characteristics. Various aspects of non-nominal power supplycharacteristics and integrated circuit performance requirements werediscussed previously in the discussion of FIG. 1.

For example, in an exemplary scenario where the nominal power supplycharacteristics comprise a nominal voltage range, the second IC teststation 324 may test the integrated circuit at a non-nominal voltageoutside of the nominal voltage range. In another exemplary scenariowhere the nominal power supply characteristics comprise a nominal targetvoltage with a nominal tolerance range, the second IC test station 324may test the integrated circuit over a non-nominal tolerance range thatis smaller than the nominal tolerance range.

In a further exemplary scenario where the nominal power supplycharacteristics comprise a minimum current supply level, the second ICtest station 324 may test the integrated circuit at a non-nominalcurrent supply level that is less than the nominal minimum currentsupply level. In yet another exemplary scenario where the nominal powersupply characteristics comprise a maximum amount of electrical noise,the second IC test station 324 may test the integrated circuit with anon-nominal maximum amount of electrical noise that is less than thenominal maximum amount of electrical noise.

In another exemplary scenario where the nominal power supplycharacteristics comprise a maximum duration of a temporary voltage drop,the second IC test station 324 may test the integrated circuit with anon-nominal maximum voltage drop duration that is less than the nominalmaximum duration. In yet another exemplary scenario where the nominalpower supply characteristics comprise a maximum duration of a temporarycurrent supply drop, the second IC test station 324 may test theintegrated circuit with a non-nominal maximum current supply dropduration that is less than the nominal maximum duration.

The second IC test station 324 may perform such integrated circuittesting in any of a variety of manners. For example and withoutlimitation, the second IC test station 324 may test performance of theintegrated circuit in a test circuit. Also for example, the second ICtest station 324 may test performance of the integrated circuit as astand-alone device. The second IC test station 324 may compriseutilizing various commercially available testing apparatus or maycomprise utilizing custom testing apparatus. The second IC test station324 may, for example, test the integrated circuit on testing apparatusdedicated to such a test or may, for example, test the integratedcircuit on testing apparatus that is also utilized for other testing ofthe integrated circuit or other circuits.

The second IC test station 324 may, for example, apply electrical powerhaving non-nominal power supply characteristics to the integratedcircuit and monitor any of a variety of performance indicators. Thesecond IC test station 324 may, for example, process monitoredperformance indicators to determine whether the integrated circuit meetsperformance requirements when operated at non-nominal power supplycharacteristics.

In general, the exemplary second IC test station 324 may test theintegrated circuit at non-nominal power supply characteristics todetermine if the integrated circuit meets performance requirements atnon-nominal power supply characteristics. Accordingly, the scope ofvarious aspects of the present invention should not be limited byaspects of particular non-nominal power supply characteristics or bycharacteristics of any particular manner of testing the integratedcircuit or of any particular device for testing the integrated circuitat such non-nominal power supply characteristics.

The second IC test station 324 may, for example, control product flow ofthe integrated circuit. The second IC test station 324 may, for example,analyze the results of the integrated circuit testing and direct productflow of the integrated circuit according to whether the exemplarycircuit met performance requirements at non-nominal power supplycharacteristics. For example, if the second IC test station 324 testedthe integrated circuit at non-nominal power supply characteristics andfound that the integrated circuit did not meet performance requirementsat non-nominal power supply characteristics, then the second IC teststation 324 may direct product flow to the downstream productionenvironment for failing product 340. Also for example, if the second ICtest station 324 tested the integrated circuit at non-nominal powersupply characteristics and found that the integrated circuit metperformance requirements at non-nominal power supply characteristics,then the second IC test station 324 may direct product flow of theintegrated circuit to the downstream production environment for passingproduct 330 (e.g., to the second production station 334) for furtherprocessing.

In an exemplary scenario where the second IC test station 324 determinedthat the integrated circuit met performance requirements at non-nominalpower supply characteristics, the second IC test station 324 (including,e.g., another related station), may designate the integrated circuit asmeeting the performance requirements at non-nominal power supplycharacteristics. The second IC test station 324 may perform suchdesignating in any of a variety of manners. For example and withoutlimitation, the second IC test station 324 (which may, e.g., include aseparate downstream production station) may designate the integratedcircuit as meeting the performance requirements (or not) at non-nominalpower supply characteristics by physically marking the integratedcircuit with a detectable indicium indicative of the integrated circuitmeeting the performance requirements at non-nominal power supplycharacteristics. Such a detectable indicium may, for example, comprise avisibly detectable indicium. Also such a detectable indicium may, forexample, comprise an electrically detectable indicium (e.g., aprogrammed bit in on-board non-volatile memory).

Also for example, the second IC test station 324 may designate theintegrated circuit as meeting the performance requirements (or not) byentering data indicative of such designation in a database associatedwith the integrated circuit. Such a database may, for example, comprisea centralized production floor database or may, for example, comprise arelatively distributed database (e.g., a memory device associated withthe integrated circuit or a set of integrated circuits, for example abatch or pallet, during testing or production).

Further for example, the second IC test station 324 may designate theintegrated circuit as meeting the performance requirements (or not) byceasing testing activities and/or routing the integrated circuit along aparticular test or production path. For example, the second IC teststation 324 may route the integrated circuit along a production ortesting path that is dedicated to integrated circuits that meet theperformance requirements at non-nominal power supply characteristics. Inthe exemplary system 300 illustrated in FIG. 3, such a production pathmay, for example, lead from the second IC test station 324 to the secondproduction station 334.

As mentioned previously, if the second IC test station 324 tested theintegrated circuit at non-nominal power supply characteristics and foundthat the integrated circuit met performance requirements at thenon-nominal power supply characteristics, then the second IC teststation 324 may direct product flow of the integrated circuit to thedownstream production environment for passing product 330 (e.g., to thesecond production station 334) for further processing. The exemplarysecond production station 334 may, for example, perform any of a varietyof processing (including material-handling) tasks related to anintegrated circuit that is found to meet performance requirements atnon-nominal power supply characteristics. For example and withoutlimitation, the second production station 334 may share variousfunctional characteristics with steps 180 and 280 of the exemplarymethods 100, 200 illustrated in FIGS. 1-2 and discussed previously.

The second production station 334 may, for example, perform additionalperformance testing, if desired. The second production station 334 mayalso, for example, package the integrated circuit in a mannercommensurate with integrated circuits that meet performance requirementsat non-nominal power supply characteristics. In general, the secondproduction station 334 may perform continued processing of theintegrated circuit, which was found to meet performance requirements atnominal power supply characteristics. Accordingly, the scope of variousaspects of the present invention should not be limited bycharacteristics of any particular continued processing or of devices forperforming particular continued processing.

As mentioned previously, if the second IC test station 324 tested theintegrated circuit at non-nominal power supply characteristics and foundthat the integrated circuit did not meet performance requirements at thenon-nominal power supply characteristics, then the second IC teststation 324 may direct product flow of the integrated circuit to thedownstream production environment for failing product 340. Thedownstream production environment for failing product 340 may, forexample and without limitation, share various functional characteristicswith steps 160 and 260 of the exemplary methods 100, 200 illustrated inFIGS. 1-2 and discussed previously.

For example, the downstream production environment for failing product340 may comprise a third test station 342 that performs additionaltesting on the integrated circuit to further assess the integratedcircuit's operational capabilities. Such further testing may also, forexample, comprise testing the integrated circuit to less stringentperformance requirements than previous tests (e.g., to determine if theintegrated circuit is of any useful functional value). Also for example,the downstream production environment for failing product 340 maycomprise a scrapping station 344 that manages various aspects related toscrapping the integrated circuit (e.g., accounting, accumulatingprocessing control data, labeling, recycling, etc.).

Further for example, the downstream production environment for failingproduct 340 may comprise a troubleshooting station 346 that may beutilized to perform failure analysis on the integrated circuit. Ingeneral, the downstream production environment for failing product 340may comprise any of a variety of processing stations related to theprocessing or handling of a failed integrated circuit. Accordingly, thescope of various aspects of the present invention should not be limitedby characteristics of any particular manner of processing or handlingfailed integrated circuits or devices for performing such processing orhandling.

It must be noted that the exemplary system 300 illustrated in FIG. 3 waspresented and discussed to provide specific examples of a portion ofgenerally broader aspects of the present invention. Accordingly, thescope of various aspects of the present invention should not be limitedby specific characteristics of the exemplary system 300.

FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary system 400 for providing increasedmanufacturing yield for integrated circuits, in accordance with variousaspects of the present invention. Various components of the exemplarysystem 400 may, for example and without limitation, share variousfunctional characteristics with the exemplary methods 100, 200illustrated in FIGS. 1-2 and discussed previously and with variousaspects of the exemplary system 300 illustrated in FIG. 3 and discussedpreviously.

The exemplary system 400 may comprise an integrated circuit testenvironment that comprises a single integrated circuit test station 420.The integrated circuit test station 420 may, by analogy, share variouscharacteristics with the test stations 322, 324 of the exemplary system300 illustrated in FIG. 3 (e.g., individually or in combination).

For example, the integrated circuit test station 420 may comprise afirst integrated circuit test module 422 and a second integrated circuittest module 424. A test module may, for example, comprise variouscombinations of hardware and/or software. The first IC test module 422may, for example, be completely independent of the second IC test module424 or may, for example, share various hardware and/or softwarecomponents. For example and without limitation, the first IC test module422 may share all hardware with the second IC test module 424.Accordingly, the scope of various aspects of the present inventionshould not be limited by arbitrary boundaries between hardware orsoftware modules.

The first IC test module 422 and the second IC test module 424 maygenerally, for example and without limitation, share variouscharacteristics with the first IC test station 322 and second IC teststation 324 of the exemplary system 300 illustrated in FIG. 3,respectively.

The exemplary system 400 may comprise a downstream productionenvironment for passing product that comprises a packaging station 430.The packaging station 430 may, by analogy, share various characteristicswith the production stations 332, 334 of the exemplary system 300illustrated in FIG. 3 and discussed previously.

For example, the packaging station 430 may comprise a first packagingmodule 432 and second packaging module 434. The first packaging module432 may, for example, package integrated circuits in a mannercommensurate with integrated circuits that meet performance requirementsat nominal power supply characteristics. The second packaging module 434may, for example, package integrated circuits in a manner commensuratewith integrated circuits that meet performance requirements atnon-nominal power supply characteristics.

The exemplary system 400 may comprise a downstream productionenvironment for failing product 440. Such an environment 440 may, forexample and without limitation, share various characteristics with thedownstream production environment for failing product 340 of theexemplary system 300 illustrated in FIG. 3 and discussed previously.

It must be noted that the exemplary system 400 illustrated in FIG. 4 waspresented and discussed to provide specific examples of a portion ofgenerally broader aspects of the present invention. Accordingly, thescope of various aspects of the present invention should not be limitedby specific characteristics of the exemplary system 400.

It should further be noted that the methods and systems illustrated inFIGS. 1-4 and discussed previously are merely exemplary, andaccordingly, the scope of various aspects of the present inventionshould not be limited by characteristics of the exemplary methods andsystems. It should also be noted that various aspects of the presentinvention may be performed by any of a large variety of production(including, e.g., fabrication, testing and material handling) apparatus.Various aspects of the present invention may be performed manually, byautomated processes, by hardware, by a processor executing softwareinstructions, or any combination thereof.

Additionally, various system components, subsystems and/or modulesdiscussed previously may be implemented in various degrees of productionsystem integration. For example and without limitation, variouscomponents and/or modules may be implemented in a distributed systemcomprising geographically discrete subsystems or on a single localsystem. Likewise, various sub-components and/or sub-modules may beimplemented on a single integrated circuit or a plurality of integratedcircuits. Accordingly, the scope of various aspects of the presentinvention should not be limited by characteristics of any particularimplementation.

In summary, various aspects of the present invention provide a systemand method for providing increased manufacturing yield for integratedcircuits. While the invention has been described with reference tocertain aspects and embodiments, it will be understood by those skilledin the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may besubstituted without departing from the scope of the invention. Inaddition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situationor material to the teachings of the invention without departing from itsscope. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited tothe particular embodiment(s) disclosed, but that the invention willinclude all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.

1. A method for providing increased manufacturing yield for integratedcircuits, the method comprising: receiving an integrated circuitdesigned to operate at nominal power supply characteristics; testing theintegrated circuit at non-nominal power supply characteristics todetermine if the integrated circuit meets performance requirements atnon-nominal power supply characteristics; and if the integrated circuitmeets the performance requirements at non-nominal power supplycharacteristics, then designating the integrated circuit as meeting theperformance requirements at non-nominal power supply characteristics. 2.The method of claim 1, further comprising: testing the integratedcircuit at nominal power supply characteristics to determine if theintegrated circuit meets performance requirements at nominal powersupply characteristics; and if the integrated circuit meets performancerequirements at nominal power supply characteristics, then designatingthe integrated circuit as meeting the performance requirements.
 3. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the integrated circuit comprises circuitryadapted to communicate power supply information with a variable powersupply circuit.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the nominal powersupply characteristics comprise a nominal voltage level, and thenon-nominal power supply characteristics comprise a voltage leveldifferent than the nominal voltage level.
 5. The method of claim 1,wherein the nominal power supply characteristics comprise a nominalvoltage range, and the non-nominal power supply characteristics comprisea voltage range inside of the nominal voltage range.
 6. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the nominal power supply characteristics comprise afirst level of power supply variability, and the non-nominal powersupply characteristics comprise a second level of power supplyvariability that is different than the first level of power supplyvariability.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the nominal power supplycharacteristics comprise a first level of power supply noise, and thenon-nominal power supply characteristics comprise a second level ofpower supply noise that is different than the first level of powersupply noise.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the performancerequirements comprise integrated circuit processing speed.
 9. The methodof claim 2, further comprising: if the integrated circuit meetsperformance requirements at nominal power supply characteristics, thenrouting the integrated circuit to a first production station; and if theintegrated circuit meets performance requirements at non-nominal powersupply characteristics, then routing the integrated circuit to a secondproduction station.
 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-nominalpower supply characteristics generally correspond to power supplycharacteristics provided by known variable power supply circuitry. 11.The method of claim 1, wherein testing the integrated circuit at nominalpower supply characteristics and testing the integrated circuit atnon-nominal power supply characteristics are performed at a single teststation.
 12. The method of claim 1, further comprising: if theintegrated circuit meets performance requirements at non-nominal powersupply characteristics, then routing the integrated circuit to a firstproduction station; and if the integrated circuit fails to meetperformance requirements at non-nominal power supply characteristics,then routing the integrated circuit to a second production station. 13.The method of claim 1, wherein designating the integrated circuit asmeeting the performance requirements at non-nominal power supplycharacteristics comprises marking the integrated circuit with adetectable indicium indicative of the integrated circuit meeting theperformance requirements at non-nominal power supply characteristics.14. The method of claim 13, wherein the detectable indicium comprises avisible indicium.
 15. A system for providing increased manufacturingyield for integrated circuits, the system comprising one or moreintegrated circuit test stations that: receive an integrated circuitdesigned to operate at nominal power supply characteristics; test theintegrated circuit at non-nominal power supply characteristics todetermine if the integrated circuit meets the performance requirements;and designate the integrated circuit as meeting the performancerequirements at non-nominal power supply characteristics if theintegrated circuit meets the performance requirements at non-nominalpower supply characteristics.
 16. The system of claim 15, wherein theone or more integrated circuit test stations further: test theintegrated circuit at the nominal power supply characteristics todetermine if the integrated circuit meets performance requirements; anddesignate the integrated circuit as meeting the performance requirementsif the integrated circuit meets performance requirements at the nominalpower supply characteristics.
 17. The system of claim 15, wherein theintegrated circuit comprises circuitry adapted to communicate powersupply information with a variable power supply circuit.
 18. The systemof claim 15, wherein the nominal power supply characteristics comprise anominal voltage level, and the non-nominal power supply characteristicscomprise a voltage level different than the nominal voltage level. 19.The system of claim 15, wherein the nominal power supply characteristicscomprise a nominal voltage range, and the non-nominal power supplycharacteristics comprise a voltage range inside of the nominal voltagerange.
 20. The system of claim 15, wherein the nominal power supplycharacteristics comprise a first level of power supply variability, andthe non-nominal power supply characteristics comprise a second level ofpower supply variability that is different than the first level of powersupply variability.
 21. The system of claim 15, wherein the nominalpower supply characteristics comprise a first level of power supplynoise, and the non-nominal power supply characteristics comprise asecond level of power supply noise that is different than the firstlevel of power supply noise.
 22. The system of claim 15, wherein theperformance requirements comprise integrated circuit processing speed.23. The system of claim 16, wherein: if the integrated circuit meetsperformance requirements at nominal power supply characteristics, thenthe integrated circuit test station(s) route the integrated circuit to afirst production station; and if the integrated circuit meetsperformance requirements at non-nominal power supply characteristics,then the integrated circuit test station(s) route the integrated circuitto a second production station.
 24. The system of claim 15, wherein thenon-nominal power supply characteristics generally correspond to powersupply characteristics provided by known variable power supplycircuitry.
 25. The system of claim 15, wherein a single integratedcircuit test station tests the integrated circuit at nominal powersupply characteristics and tests the integrated circuit at non-nominalpower supply characteristics.
 26. The system of claim 15, wherein: ifthe integrated circuit meets performance requirements at non-nominalpower supply characteristics, then the integrated circuit teststation(s) route the integrated circuit to a first production station;and if the integrated circuit fails to meet performance requirements atnon-nominal power supply characteristics, then the integrated circuittest station(s) route the integrated circuit to a second productionstation.
 27. The system of claim 15, wherein the integrated circuit teststation(s) designate the integrated circuit as meeting the performancerequirements at non-nominal power supply characteristics by marking theintegrated circuit with a detectable indicium indicative of theintegrated circuit meeting the performance requirements at non-nominalpower supply characteristics.
 28. The system of claim 27, wherein thedetectable indicium comprises a visible indicium.
 29. A method forproviding increased manufacturing yield for integrated circuits, themethod comprising: testing an integrated circuit at a first set of powersupply characteristics to determine if the integrated circuit meetsperformance requirements at the first set power supply characteristics;if the integrated circuit meets performance requirements at the firstset of power supply characteristics, then designating the integratedcircuit as meeting the performance requirements at the first set ofpower supply characteristics; if the integrated circuit does not meetperformance requirements at the first set of power supplycharacteristics, then: testing the integrated circuit at a second set ofpower supply characteristics, different than the first set of powersupply characteristics, to determine if the integrated circuit meetsperformance requirements at the second set of power supplycharacteristics; and if the integrated circuit meets the performancerequirements at the second set of power supply characteristics, thendesignating the integrated circuit as meeting the performancerequirements at the second set of power supply characteristics.
 30. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the integrated circuit is designed to meetthe performance requirements when provided with electrical powercharacterized by the first set of power supply characteristics.
 31. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the second set of power supplycharacteristics corresponds with a set of power supply characteristicsgenerally provided by a known variable power supply circuit.
 32. Themethod of claim 1, wherein designating the integrated circuit comprisesmarking the integrated circuit with a detectable indicium.